With the FIA World Endurance Championship’s planned Qatar round cancelled for 2026 amid the ongoing conflict in the region, the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) has turned its attention to next year’s season opener, while pushing ahead with plans to establish a stronger Qatari presence in endurance racing.
After a year away, Qatar is scheduled to host the WEC curtain raiser for a third time next March, although the ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East means the event remains dependent on the situation in the region.
Teams need to travel to Qatar for the pre-season Prologue in under 200 days, though QMMF President Abdulrahman Al Mannai says QMMF does not yet need to consider a contingency plan. He acknowledges that preparations will need to begin well before the start of the season, but insists Qatar remains focused on delivering the event.
“Based on the challenges, you know, the logistical challenges and the travel challenges, the FIA and WEC decided to cancel the race for this year and move it to next year,” Al Mannai tells DSC. “We are disappointed with this, but we totally understand the decision, and we’re hoping we’ll see the opening round next year, and we are really excited about it.
“No, it’s not too far away, and you know, when it comes to planning, when you think something is too far away, it’s not. It comes really quickly, and for us, we are totally, completely ready to go ahead. We are planning everything for the race. Qatar has hosted many, many sporting events. We are capable of delivering, and we are going ahead with our plan. And there’s nothing right now that says, you know, ‘oh, let’s think about this now.’
“I really hope we will not have any problems during that time. But we work very closely with WEC and the FIA, and right now the situation is very calm. We are living a normal life. The airport is fully operational. Things are normal here. So we really don’t see anything else, but to plan and host the race.
“Of course, we cannot predict everything that happens in the world. You never know, and I think, with our strong relationship with the FIA and the WEC, we can discuss and see how we can make sure that everybody is safe and so forth. But so far, you know, we’re having the race.”
QMMF’s ambitions for 2027 extend beyond hosting the WEC event in Qatar. The federation hopes to have a Qatari entry on the grid via the Iron Lynx WEC LMGT3 programme when the championship arrives next, building on its existing involvement in the European Le Mans Series.
Team Qatar by Iron Lynx, backed by QMMF, is currently competing for the ELMS LMGT3 title with Mercedes-AMG. Over the winter, it also looking to compete in the Winter Le Mans Series, which has replaced the Asian Le Mans Series while racing in the Middle East remains off the table.
The LMGT3 effort to this point, which included a one-off appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans earlier this year with standout Bronze-rated driver Abdulla Al-Khelaifi, looks to be providing the foundation for a move onto the world stage full time.
“The WEC event in Qatar itself is really special,” Al Mannai explains. “And we could have a Qatar team racing in the opening round, which will make it very, very exciting. Our plan was to stay in the European Championship for at least a couple of years, and then see how to move to the World Championship.
“We just enjoyed Le Mans this year so much. You know, it was the first time a Qatari started at Le Mans, and it was the first time a Qatari finished. For us as a small nation, you know, we felt so proud. It’s the start.
“My goal here is that we see a Qatari driver in one of the Hypercars with a factory. We’re trying to give Abdullah, and any other drivers, the environment, the tools, all the help we can to make sure that one of the factories picks them up. We want to create a presence in these championships and at a world-class level. So far, we’re moving in the right direction. It’s very exciting stuff.”
Longer term, QMMF wants to develop enough domestic talent to eventually put Qatari representation into the Hypercar ranks, whether through a team or drivers. The immediate priority is developing the next generation and potentially working towards fielding an all-Qatari driver crew.
“We have right now four drivers that we are looking at,” Al Mannai notes. “We do have good talent. They’re like Abdullah in the past; they are trying. They are learning and going into different championships, and I think one or two of them will be going up the ranks soon, like you said, definitely. And this is the idea that we have a pipeline of talent feeding the top-level competition.
“Over, you know, the next three years or so, I think we will see more Qatari drivers, but not only drivers; we might see some race engineers, some mechanics. Last Le Mans, we had one engineer who integrated with the team, and he did really well. So we are looking at the sport from all aspects, whether it’s technical engineering, you know, whether it’s driving, so all of it, even promotion and sponsorship. We’re trying to build capabilities in every aspect because, as you know, it’s a very big industry, our sport.
“It’s a very competitive environment. It’s going to be difficult. We are targeting people at a young age and trying to provide them with the right environment, strong championships; it’s the key. We’re trying to create our own championship in Qatar and allow people to step up. Qatar has a multiple Dakar winner, so we’ve had success, but only in rallies. Now we want to do well in circuit racing, GTs, Hypercar, single-seaters.”
